The 'Moments' Of Our Lives

We have had two Greek moments, a Portuguese moment, an Irish moment and we are about to possibly have the “moments of our lives” during the next two weeks. America’s primary moment will be tomorrow when the people of the United States exercise their constitutional right and choose a President and a significant amount of the members of Congress. One thing that can be said with certainty is that we have a choice and a real choice. In my mind it is not just a decision of the typical Democratic or Republican politics but a choice between a far more Socialist administration and a Capitalistic option. I find neither choice to be either far left or far right but it is a clear choice without doubt. Personally I am in favor of a safety net for every American but I am not in favor of so many social programs that there is a clear transference of capital from those who have succeeded to those that have not. I also find Mr. Obama’s attacks on Wall Street, on banks and on those who have stood on their own two feet and made something of themselves to be offensive and outside of what I consider to be a core American value which is to applaud and respect those that have worked hard and gained. Finally my decision was molded by politics at the very local level, my house, where you can only spend what you can afford and not a penny more and the policies of the last four years, in my view, have violated that principle. Thus I made my choice. Tomorrow will be a significant moment in time.

While America turns inward and pays attention to very little else besides our election on Tuesday we may well find ourselves peering outward on short notice. We are told by Greece that they have one week on money left to pay their bills. Here we are on the brink and it is still not clear if the IMF will fund the next tranche or if a number of countries in Europe will pony up either. If there is an extension of Greek terms it is still unknown who is going to pick up the tab for another $40-45 billion that will be required to implement that plan. Back in Athens it is still quite murky whether there are enough votes available to pass the new round of austerity measures demanded by the IMF and the EU. We will have a new moment with all of this without question but the sound of it may very well be heard as a BIG BANG as the friction on the Continent causes a fire to rage out of control where Greek politics or European politics erupts as the long and winding road finally reaches its end. I advise that you pay attention here; decisions will be made as forced by the financial condition of Greece and can kicking is no longer an operative solution now. I predict it will get ugly and real ramifications will cause real shudders and I would be prepared for what must now come as the financial hurricane of Europe hits the shores in Athens.

“It was as if, at moments, we were perpetually coming into sight of subjects before which we must stop short, turning suddenly out of alleys that we perceived to be blind, closing with a little bang that made us look at each other--for, like all bangs, it was something louder than we had intended--the doors we had indiscreetly opened.”

-Henry James, The Turn of the Screw

In the meantime one of the Danish banks, after inspection by their central bank, went bankrupt over the weekend. Spain reported out their unemployment rate today which exploded by another 2.7% in just one month. Spain will soon be forced to its knees by their regional debt, by their banks while the ECB is under fire that they lent money to the Spanish banks in an inappropriate and perhaps illegal fashion. I consider the next two weeks to be a moment of “critical mass” where a systemic explosion is not out of the question nor even an outlier given our current circumstances. Grant’s Rules 1-10 “Preservation of Capital” should be uppermost in your minds now and I would suggest a healthy amount of liquidity during this time period. Watch, especially, your counterparty risk and be mindful of the implications of a Greek default because this baby could crawl either way and in a hurry.

“She stood for some moments gazing at the sisters, with affection beaming in one eye, and calculation out of the other.”

If anyone believes that Romney can or will do a single thing to contract the long downward slide of empire (especially while maintaining the safety net which is guaranteed to bankrupt the nation within decades) they've got to be crazy.

Other free masons include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, damn near all of the founding fathers, and my father. It was, and is, largely a drinking society, and an excuse to get out of the house once or twice a month. Grow up.

A priest, lawyer and a buncha little boys were on a flight when they heard the captain announce that they were going to crash and die. Captain has the proverbial parachute for himself and just 2 more. He hands the two extras to the priest and jumps. The lawyer tries to grab one from the priest and the priest says "But what about the underage boys?" To which the lawyer says "Fuck 'em"And the Priest asks "Is there enough time?"

true, but only at the lower levels... at the higher levels, free masonry is something entirely different. They preserved certain knowledge and teachings... that could be used for good or evil, like anything else, it all depends on who is in charge and how they use the knowledge.

While Brother George Washington was a Freemason (probably the most famous of American Freemasons), and Benjamin Franklin was also (he was Master of a French Lodge while serving as representative of the rebelling colonies to France), Thomas Jefferson was not, for the reason that he could not honestly profess faith in a Supreme Being.

While it IS true that many of TPTB have been or are Freemasons, it is also not true that it is a "drinking club" - the only Masonic body where a lort of drinking and partying take place is the Shriners.

And no one has asked, "since fucking when was is the president's job, or the job of any fucking person working for the executive or any other branch of government for that matter, to be involved "creating jobs"; show me where it says that is a presidential responsbility in the Constitution."

Same with every damn Senate and House campaign ad.

In fact, just how many of the MSM's favorite issues are really the prerogative of the president or executive branch or government at large AS PER THE CONSTITUTION? Healthcare isn't, job creation isn't, abortion isn't, science education isn't, energy "policy" isn't, gun "control" is pretty clearly defined within the Bill of Rights, etc. etc. etc.

The fact that either candidate/party includes these issues in their platform shows what a farcical comedy the entire premise of this country's federal political system really is today.

All these attack ads, every single one, implicitly assumes that the issues they raise are somehow the prerogative of some part of the federal government. This is simply a categorically false premise for anyone who (foolishly but understandably) beleives the Constitution is the supreme legal document and political authority of this country.

The only federal politician I know of who has hinted at or even suggested as much is one Dr. Ron Paul, and for this he was crucified and excommunicated by the political machine.

The idiotic voters of all stripes save for one-that-shall-not-be-named neither question nor even think to question the assumed minor premise that Obama or Romney have any fucking place creating jobs (straight face = denied) or otherwise meddling in the labor market in any way, shape, or form. And not a peep from any pundit or analyst or expert.

When you hear "Obama supports job creation" or "Romney supports more jobs" just realize that what is actually being said is: X supports more interference in the (labor) market which means more spending which means taxes and/or debt and more so-called "unintended*" economic consequences.

My wife just told me "Don't forget to vote on your way home from work". I live in NY State. All the electoral votes have been counted as Democratic since the previous election. My vote for Romney is a complete waste of time, gas, and aggravation....but "Ok dear". Ohio will decide for the whole freaking country...America the beautiful...God shed His grace on thee.

I think as soon a the elections are over we should start the campaigning for 2014 and 2016. Think of all the MSM analysts that would not collect unemployment or be added to the President's cabinet. Conservative Progressive thinking No? /s

No matter who gets elected, the amount of government debt will continue to increase geometrically until the bond market revolts. This is simply because there is no other way to prevent the inevitable economic contraction that MUST occur due to the previous 30 year bull market "growth" in asset prices (aka inflation) fueled entirely by credit issuance / pulled-forward demand.

All that credit-money creation / leverage works so well when asset prices are increasing, but the moment prices start going down your losses get magnified and you are toast. Banks have been shorting our currency for years, lending out far more in capital than they have in deposits. They are the ones that must fear deflation, and they are the reason the Bernank is printing like mad to prevent it.

"I also find Mr. Obama’s attacks on Wall Street, on banks and on those who have stood on their own two feet and made something of themselves to be offensive and outside of what I consider to be a core American value"

Are you serious??? Not only do the majority of these people not provide anything of value and create money out of thin air, Some(not all) are making the American people poor through inflation. Lay off the drugs because no matter what Obama says he is but a puppet and will support his masters.

Who is more likely to accept Bibi's invitation to dance? That could have some bearing on things. This post is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be viewed as an endorsement of any kind.

<<Romney appeals to Zionist/anti-Islamic/jingoist fundamentalists and their ilk while Obama appeals to Zionist/crypto-anti-Islamic/"humanitarian intervention" progressives and their ilk. It's a very polarizing issue, don'tcha know! Support for Israel under Red Team presidents: unwavering; but under Blue Team presidents: steadfast>>

I'm sorry I don't see a socialist or a capitalist. I see a choice between what flavor of fascism you choose. I don't see either one of the two shrinking the police state, military, or the welfare state. The way I view it is the only way to win the game is not to play.

agreed doc, this is a choice between a banker socialist that has allowed for the continued strenghtening and consolidation of power, including redistribution of wealth, of the TBTF.....and his challenger, the crony capitalist, who will continue in the tradition of obama in allowing the banks to run amok, plus a sprinkling in some good ol fashioned chicken hawkism................

im so excited to see the return of the rumsfeld era.......i miss rummy..............

I have no illusions either will pull us out (or even intend to) from this whirlpool. Still, I just don't want to have to hear Obama's annoying speech pattern anymore or see his wife going full-Marie Antonette on extravagant taxpayer-funded vacations. Plus, I have the teeny tiny hope that with Romney, I'll have less chance of a 40 S&W HP ending up in my cranium from a DHS stormtrooper over the next 4-years.

As for the rest...

war will come regardless (Syria, Iran)

wages will keep dropping, along with the education level of Americans, deficit will indeed go higher, austerity for you and not for them, etc.

"In my mind it is not just a decision of the typical Democratic or Republican politics but a choice between a far more Socialist administration and a Capitalistic option. I find neither choice to be either far left or far right but it is a clear choice without doubt. Personally I am in favor of a safety net for every American but I am not in favor of so many social programs that there is a clear transference of capital from those who have succeeded to those that have not. I also find Mr. Obama’s attacks on Wall Street, on banks and on those who have stood on their own two feet and made something of themselves to be offensive and outside of what I consider to be a core American value which is to applaud and respect those that have worked hard and gained. Finally my decision was molded by politics at the very local level, my house, where you can only spend what you can afford and not a penny more and the policies of the last four years, in my view, have violated that principle. Thus I made my choice. Tomorrow will be a significant moment in time."

If the euro implosion comes true as he portends, I would rape any of your deposit accounts and leave just enough for Bill Pay. Consider that the FDIC has perhaps only 10% of funds that would be required if the TBTFs fall like dominos as the derivative apocalypse occurs. Your deposits have already been hypothecated 100 times over and you could be Corzined in a NY minute. My 2 cents.

Since Obama has been elected my house has lost 18% of its value. My health insurance premiums have increased 30%, and my base expenses, thanks to inflation and EPA policies, have doubled.

My middles class white neighborhood is being atacked on all fronts and nearly everyone I know has at least one family member who has lost a $40k+ job and had to settle for a $10 part time retail position.

My company makes and sells real products, ie not publicly traded channel stuffed chinese made crap, and demand has been declining for four years straight. Real people do not have any extra money to spend on discretionary products. All the other vendors I know are in the same boat.

Every economic datapoint has been manipulated at least 90% to the upside to help Obama. Knowing there will be no punishment for fraudulent accounting, CFOs are pulling the numbers out of thir asses and laughing around $200 a plate dinners every night. If a company says they sold 1 million units, they really sold 100k or less. They know nobody will check the numbers, and those that would are happier to get their stock options that keep doubling in value on the back of QEetc.

Just like any group of con men, they expect to eventually get caught. However its better to live a few years as a king than live a lifetime in the pit.

Romney may just let the middle class live a bit longer. Four more years of Obama will destroy it once and for all. My business won't survive. Maybe I can live like the 30 yr old couple across the street with five kids. He has a job that pays $20k a year. They have the heat always turned up to 75 and the air to 70 in the summer, they don't have to pay the bill since they have HEAP for that. They don't need to pay for health insurance since he is a veteran and medicaid takes care of the rest. WIC program for diapers and formula, SNAP for food. Massive EIC payments every tax year. They even have subsidized cell phones and internet. Of course he drives a brand new F150 and they have two 50" TVs. The government even kicks in some of the rent payment for the house.

After all is said and done he has a lot more of his $20k left over than I have of my $65k. The new America, infinite wealth for the 1% and handouts for those who help to keep them in power. Anyone stuck in the middle gets squashed.

I love how these stupid fucking Americans like the guy above here wants to rant an rave about some family he THINKS he knows about, blaming Obama all the way. No mention of NDAA, no mention of Obama going after whistle blowers, no Obama gets to blow up Americans whenever he wants... no mention of Drones, no mention of the militarization of the nation's police force... Its all bitching about people getting handouts... SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY. Pull your head from your ass and WAKE THE FUCK UP! You are going to vote for some asshole millionaire? You think he gives a shit about you? FUCK man people are fucking stupid...

To hell with both of them because we have two major problems with our leadership: swarmy politicians and thieving bankers, and the choice we are given is one or the other.

Our "choice" isn't between one or the other. Instead, the "choice" we are given is between swarmy politicians who are paid off by thieving bankers or for thieving bankers who pay off swarmy politicians. Both or both, take your pick. While our two largest political parties may have had some major differences years ago, today they are "Coke" and "new Coke." It doesn't matter which one you vote for, the same people will profit no matter which "choice" you make.

wait...when did Obama attack wall street and/or banks? cause all I remember is some off handed remark about fat cats before pushing legislation that was so convoluted, vast and unintelligible that it was most likely written by the banksters and their puppet congresscritters.

unless he means wall st Afghanistan, or wall st Libya...

is there a wall st in Pakistan? if there is it wouldn't surprise me if Obama bombed it.

or maybe it was wall st Canada he was talking about, has Obama started droning people to death in Toronto yet?

and what banks did Obama attack? (other than the central bank of Iran)...

and have you visited Romney's website, there isn't anybody he isn't willing to go to war with , Russia, North Korea, Syria, Pakistan and most especially the "terrorist state of Iran".

and his "plan" to fix the economy and create job growth is...

the same as Obama's, read from the teleprompter and stay the fuck out of the way while Bernanke and his bankster ilk pillage and plunder. and maybe, if he's an especially good little drone, they might let him start a war and get a second term.

Who would be hearing the speaking they are making about Europe if they were speaking about Europe? Americans are having so many stupids, talking about Europe would be making them have many angries for Obama was not talking about Americans instead and the mormon who lies would be telling the stupids it is Obama's fault that Europe peoples are having troubles. The speaking they are having needs to be keeping telling Americans many many jobs are coming and not be telling the stupids any bad things will be happening. Why don't you know that?

WOW!!! This piece represents a line of thought totally divorced from reality. Obama a socialist!? This is far right propaganda designed to influence those who don't have a friggin clue as to what socialism even is. Attacks on Wall Street!? Obama has let the Street continue to do whatever it wants. I'm not voting for Obama and I'm sure as hell not voting for Romney. Grant seems to believe this "choice" is some once in a lifetime moment of truth that will determine the future of our country. Bullshit. There will be little differnce regardless of who is elected. There's only one thing significant about this election. Regardless of the winner, we are about to enter into the age of austerity in America as we cross the tipping point toward a dark and scary future. Be prepared!